Sicily

• Mt. Etna

This is made from Nero D'Avola in Sicily.  It spends 14 months in barrels and another year in bottles prior to ageing.  It is bigger and deeper in style than most Nero D'Avolas.  Deep ruby in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is interesting with a rye bread note along with cherries, black cherries and a slight dill.  Nice texture.  On the palate, cherries and sour cherries.  Firm tannins.  Some anise on the long finish.  It has a nice complexity.  This is drinking well now and should go another eight to ten years.  It will also work well with food.  Rosemary and garlic lamb chops w

In attempting to discover the grapes in this, a brief search on the Internet revealed lots of suspects but no definitive answer.  Other grapes mentioned include Nerello Mascalese, Perricone and Merlot.  The varietals that popped up the most are a blend of Nero D'avola with a small percentage of Syrah.   Purple in color with a rim of persistent bubbles.  This wine is made in a "natural" style but other than the bubbles there were no noticeable faults.  The nose has lots of sour cherries, some anise, black pepper and slight black olives.  On the palate, this has light tannins, tart acidity an

This is 100% Nero d'Avola from Sicily.  Ruby in color, some brown swirls, clear and bright.  The nose has raspberries with some soy.  Airy.  Medium bodied.  Thick tannins.  On the palate, black cherries, anise and smoke.  Long finish that shows some alcohol.  the wines has 13.5%abv.  It is drinking nicely, but one wonders if there is enough fruit to outlast the tannins.  Drink sooner than later.  A nice match with cheeses or braised meats.  

This is 100% Nero d'Avola from the far western side of Sicily.  Ruby in color with some brown hues, clear and bright.  The nose has black raspberries, cherries and thyme.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, cherries and anise.  Nice acidity.  Plenty of depth.  Delicious.  A hint of salinity on the finish.  This is drinking well on its own and will work well with bigger meat dishes.  Drink over the next seven to ten years.  

This is made from the Nero d'Avola grape in south-western Sicily.  Ruby in color, clear and shimmering bright.  The nose has cherries, black licorice and slight balsamic notes.  Great texture.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, cherries and sour cherries.  Some warmth on the finish.  Long finish.  This is mostly about red fruit but a bit bigger and brighter.  It drinks well on its own and will go great with pasta or pizza.  A nice value.  Drink over the next four to six years.  

This is 90% Carricante and 10% Riesling from the north slopes of Mt. Etna just outside the DOC boundaries.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has asparagus, smoke, minerals and white flowers.  A lovely velvety texture that is slightly  oily.  Light tannins.  A very interesting palate with tarragon, lime and saline.  Moderate finish with some green apple notes.  This is complex and interesting but also a very nice wine for food.  While it works on its own, this would be great with sardines or even salmon.  Drink over the next five to ten years.  

This is made from 100% Insolia (also known as Ansonica) grapes in Sicily.  Silvery/light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has lanolin, limes, whites pepper and cantaloupe.  Medium bodied.  Lightly oily in texture.  Light tannins.  On the palate, there is the barest perception of sweetness on the attack with melons and light minerality in the mid-palate.  A lingering finish.  This is very tasty.  It drinks well on its own and worked well with Spanakopita.  Drink over the next five years.  

This is 100% Grillo from Sicily grown at an altitude of 830 meters (2,700 feet).  A beautiful wine.  Golden in color with a slight copper hue, clear and bright.  The nose has acacia flowers, tangerines and sea air.  Medium bodied.  Very slight oily texture.  On the palate, this is more about minerality with a bit of tangerine and slight smoke.  Good acidity.  Plenty of depth.  Long finish.  This drinks great on its own and is better with food.  It will work with salads, sea food and lighter poultry or pork dishes.  Drink over the next five to seven years.  

This is made from the Nerello Mascalese grapes grown on the sloped of Mt.

Made from the Grillo grape (fast becoming one of my favorite white grapes) in Sicily.  Silvery with slight golden hues, clear and bright.  On opening there was a bit of a chemical note, but that blew off in 15 minutes and it was clean after that.  Tropical fruits (guava?) with vanilla and very slight smoke.  Light to medium bodied.  On the palate, this has tart acidity.  13% abv.  A very nice juicy texture.  On the palate, flavors of blood oranges with some vanilla.  Guava notes come out on the finish.  This is delicious on its own and will work well with sea food or vegetarian dishes.  Dri